Honouring deserving Nigerians

One person was ‘missing’, as it were, from the recipients of the National Honour awards on Monday in Abuja. That person was Femi Gbajabiamila, a member of the House of Representatives representing Lagos State on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. He had politely turned down the award. To some, it may seem that a thread of politics runs through the whole issue. I do not think so. The man simply exhibited an uncommon spirit of patriotism. Gbajabiamila had rejected the ‘offer’ on the ground that he had sponsored a bill against the indiscriminate award of honours to undeserving Nigerians in the past, and that, though the bill did not sail through, he intended to reintroduce it in the nearest future. He also alluded to the fact that, in his own estimation, he had not done enough for the country to merit such an award at this time. Good point. Good reason.

The question is: how many Nigerians will see things from Gbajabiamila’s perspective? We tend to celebrate criminality in this country. We have seen some people who got these national awards in the past only to appear in handcuffs the following day. Just look around. There is no use mentioning names. For me, Gbajababiamila deserves commendation. That is the stuff a highly principled man is made of. If he did not take the award for the reasons he gave, we still need to honour him in our minds. That is what Nigerians should emulate.

However, the National Think-Tank was on song last Monday as two of its leaders were recognised by the federal government. One of them is Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, one-time Minister of External Affairs, easily one of Nigeria’s finest academic. Vibrant, vivacious and cerebral, Akinyemi is a study in discipline, decorum and decency. His carriage befits the ever-engaging diplomat that he is.

Professor Akinyemi is an incurable optimist who is very passionate about his convictions. He comes round as one of the radical political scientists of our time whose intellectual proboscis penetrate deep whenever they are let loose. Remember his “concert of medium powers” and the Technical Aids Corps, which were both designed to toughen the African continent against the imperialism of the West. Though the Technical Aids Corps is one of the signets of his achievements as Foreign Minister, his postulations on the concert of medium powers is an idea which Africa and other smaller nations might revisit if they must liberate themselves from the feeding spoons of the imperialists who are fast becoming more desperate these days.

In the last six years, I have had the privilege to interact intimately with Akinyemi as chairman of the National Think-Tank, a policy advocacy group, and I have found him to be a democrat who believes that only the freedom of expression can guarantee development in the country. This, according to him, includes freedom to choose our leaders, to criticise them when they err, and engage them in constructive and robust debates at all times. These are the pillars on which the National Think-Tank is built and has been nurtured these past six years.

Akinyemi has been involved in different diplomatic conferences across the world. He is to proceed to the Gambia as Head of the Commonwealth Monitoring Group to oversee the elections in the country later this week. And he has not made any noise about it. As preparations for his 70th birthday celebration on January 4, 2012 enter the top gear, no other bouquet can be more appropriate for this giant son of Africa than this award as Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR.

As for Professor Steve Azaiki, the irrepressible campaigner for justice for the Niger Deltans, his award as Officer of the Order of the Niger, OON, may not be adequate for a man of his prodigious stature. Those who have come across him know that his strength of character lies in his humility. Azaiki is one man at peace with himself and, by extension, everyone around him. His wealth of experience and intellectual capacity are enough to dazzle Aristotle. In the National Think-Tank, which we both founded, he has deployed his meagre resources and robust intellect to lead the organisation as its National Coordinator.

The story of Azaiki’s national honour is something to be shared. Steve, as he is widely known, is the quintessential statesman, an epitome of love who has traversed the globe. He was out of the country when I got a call from Ibrahim Shagari, who said he had been trying to reach him. When he (Steve) returned from Canada where he attended the World Environmental Conference, I told him to get in touch with Ibrahim. Two days later, he called me to say he had called Ibrahim and was told that former President Shehu Shagari got a letter asking him to nominate a Nigerian for national honour. Shagari believes that, like Saro Wiwa and others, Steve has contributed much to peace in the Niger Delta. Besides, the elder Shagari believes the formation of the National Think-Tank, his previous contribution to sustainable development in Africa as well as his intellect, academic contribution and administrative prowess deserve recognition.

Shagari’s confidence and recognition of Steve reminds me of what Ibrahim Babangida told Michael Zuokmor, the then Commissioner of Police (CP) of Niger State, now CP Federal Capital Territory, that he had great respect for Prof Azaiki and believed Steve was one of Niger Delta’s most distinguished sons. Babangida repeated this when a delegation of the South-South, including Godsday Orubebe, the current minister of the Niger Delta, visited him to discuss Jonathan’s candidacy for President.

Steve had told me that though Babangida had reached out to him, unfortunately, his professional engagement never made it possible for them to meet. Unlike Olusegun Obasanjo, Yakubu Gowon, Ernest Shonekan, Shagari and Abdulsalami Abubakar, Steve said he had never met Babangida one on one.

In 2004 when Steve launched his book, Inequities in Nigerian Politics, former President Obasanjo, who was the Special Guest of Honour, said: “I have decided to honour this invitation because of Steve’s civilized approach to issues and his contribution to peace in the Niger Delta region.” What other tribute can we give to a man so much admired, so much respected in a country where role models are in short supply?

Having said all these, this year’s national honours awards are unique in certain ways. A rundown of the list shows that the President went back 30 years to honour deserving Nigerians. People like Ibrahim Alfa, the late one-time Chief of Air Staff and Victoria Gowon. Victoria is one person who carries herself with grace, poise and humility. She was completely at the background during the nine years her husband called the shots, a direct opposite of the flamboyance and extravagance that now pervade the office of first lady in Nigeria.

Another good side is the decoration of Aliko Dangote with the award of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON. Nobody can deny the fact that in the last few years, Dangote has been building industries in Nigeria and across the African continent. Through this, he has been creating massive employment. Whatever the rumoured source of his wealth, he has touched humanity. After all, those who embezzled billions of naira in Nigeria, where did they plough their loot? We must accord this young generation of billionaires some modicum of recognition, not for making the money, but the use for which the money is put.

Like Gbajabiamila, we must learn to reward only excellence in Nigeria and not accord undue recognition to fraudsters, armed robbers and cheats whose diabolical efforts have brought down the country to its present kneels.